Vehicles may contain a large number of powered systems receiving energy from a battery or other energy storage devices. Furthermore, some vehicles may employ fuel economizing techniques, such as deceleration fuel shut-off (DSFO), start-stop operation, etc., as well as energy economizing techniques for energy storage devices. For example, hybrid electric vehicles may employ both fuel economizing techniques as well as energy economizing techniques.
Due to the aforementioned fuel and energy economizing techniques, the vehicle may have a threshold energy usage which may fluctuate depending on operating conditions in the vehicle. Therefore, the number of actions that may be performed in parallel via powered vehicle systems may be limited, in some cases. Furthermore, during certain periods of vehicle operation it may be desirable to inhibit certain actions performed by the powered vehicle systems due to their power usage, such as when the engine is temporarily shut-down during start-stop operation.
The inability to perform certain actions in parallel or temporarily inhibiting certain actions may lead delayed implementation of specified actions. However, vehicle operators may expect a quick response (e.g., substantially instantaneous) after requesting an action. Thus, the delayed implementation of these actions may confuse a vehicle operator which may lead to repetitive input requests for the action. Ultimately, the vehicle operator may be dissatisfied when they are unsure why actions are delayed.
Furthermore, the inability to perform certain actions in parallel may lead to prioritization of certain actions. As a result, the delay corresponding to the different actions may be varied. This may be viewed by the vehicle operator as inconsistent behavior. Therefore, variance in delay times may further confuse vehicle operators, leading to additional customer dissatisfaction.
To solve at least some of the aforementioned problems a method for operation of a vehicle by a control system is provided. The method comprises indicating to a vehicle operator a delay in implementation of an energy-expending action in a powered vehicle system in response to receiving an implementation request from an input device based on vehicle energy usage via a delay indicator.
In this way, by notifying the operator of the delay, the operator can understand why certain actions may be delayed, and can further expect such actions. This can reduce the likelihood of operator confusion. The delay indicator may be positioned in a vehicle cabin and may be integrated into the input device and provide visual cues of the duration of the delay, in one example. In this way, a vehicle operator is provided with an easily observable and intuitive indication that reduces concerns over whether a command has been received and provides reassurance that the commands will be acted upon in a predictable manner. In other words, the indication or notification to the operator can not only indicate the delay, but also that the input was properly received and processed. As such, the likelihood of repeated actuation of the input device due to operator confusion may be reduced. As a result, the vehicle operator may be less distracted and more satisfied with vehicle performance.
In one example, the delay may be indicated if the vehicle energy usage will exceed a threshold value after the energy-expending action is implemented. In this way, an energy economizing strategy may be employed in the vehicle while alerting the vehicle operator of delays associated with the strategy. As such, the indications and/or notifications may be responsive to the energy usage currently experience in the vehicle, so that the indications and notifications can be suppressed when no delay is expected.
The above advantages and other advantages, and features of the present description will be readily apparent from the following Detailed Description when taken alone or in connection with the accompanying drawings.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure. Additionally, the above issues have been recognized by the inventors herein, and are not admitted to be known.